Hah!-Light'ning sooth

Thy tongue, blasphemer!-Sooner may this globe
Be hurl'd to the profound abyss of Hell!-
But vain are words.—This is no place-remember, |
He shall not triumph thus !--Thou hast bely'd him--
He means it not.-Nor will the syren smile-
No, Grime, she dares not smile him to her arms!
GRIME.

Reproach, or mute disgust, is the reward
Of candid friendship, that disdains to hide
Unpalatable truth!-I tell thee, youth,
Betroth'd by Angus to Dunbar, she yields
Her plighted faith, this hour.-But see!-the maid
Moves hitherward alone!-

Our mutual jealousies; and breath'd anew The soul of harmony within our breasts.Hast thou not, since that period, entertain'd One adverse thought to constancy and me?

ELEONORA.

Say, who invested thee with pow'r supreme
O'er Eleonora's conduct; that thou com'st
With frowning aspect, thus, to judge my fame?-
Hast thou not forfeited all claim to me?
Have I not seen thee stray from honour's path?
And shall my love be to the breast confin'd
Where treason in her darkest hue presides!-
No!-let me wipe thee, blotted as thou art,
From my abhorrent thoughts!—

STUART.

Not all this pride Of mimic virtue-not all th' assembled host Of female wiles, how exquisite soe'cr, Shall shelter thee, deceiver!-What new staia Defiles my bosom, since the morning saw Thy tenderness o'erflow; and heard thy tongue Seduce me to thy faithless arms, again?

ELEONORA.

Is this the testimony of thy love?
This thy asserted honour! to revile
Defenceless innocence?-But this will aid
My duty to forget thee-Dost thou ask
What recent outrage has estrang'd my heart?-
There needed noue.-The measure of thy guilt
Was full enough before.-Yet thou hast heap'd
Offences to excess: in battle fought

Against thy king; and sought, with lifted arm,
My father's life-ungrateful as thou art!
Know then, the honour of my name forbids
Our fates to join! and it shall ne'er be said,
That Eleonora, lost to glory, took
A traitor to her bed!—

STUART.

Perfidious witch! Thy charms shall not avail thee; for I come Th' avenging minister of broken faith! To claim the promis'd fruitage of my loveOr-mark me-punish, with thy guilty blood, Thy perjury and fraud!

ELEONORA.

Wilt thou attempt

To gain, by menaces, what the soft sigh
Of plaintive anguish would implore in vain?
Here strike-and let thy ruthless poniard drink
The blood of Douglas, which has often flow'd
In virtue's cause; and ev'ry soil enrich'd,
From wintry Scania to the sacred vale
Where Lebanon exalts his lofty brow.-

STUART,

Egregious sore'ress!-give me back my peace-
Bid yesterday return, that saw my youth
Adorn'd in all its splendour, and elate
With gen'rous pride and dignity of soul!-
Ere yet thy spells had discomposed my brain,
Unstrung my arın, and laid me in the dust,
Beneath a rival's feet!

ELEONORA.

Hear all ye powers!

He claims of me, what his own conscious guilt Hath robb'd him of-And dost thou look for peace

O crocodile!-Curse on these faithless drops
Which fall, but to ensnare!-Thy specious words
Shall sooner lull the sounding surge, than check
The fury that impels me!-Yet-by Heav'n,
Thou art divinely fair! and thy distress
With magic softness ev'ry charm improves!-
Wert thou not false as Hell, not Paradise
Could more perfection boast!-O! let me turn
My fainting eyes from thy resistless face;
And from my sense exclude the soothing sound
Of thy enchanting tongue.-Yet-yet renounce
Thine infidelity-To thine embrace
Receive this wanderer-this wretch forlorn!-
Speak peace to his distracted soul; and ease
The tortures of his bosom!-

DUNBAR, STUART, ELEONORA.

DUNBAR.

[Draws.

ELEONORA.

This is too much

This is too much to bear!-thou hast destroy'd My last remains of peace!

DUNBAR.

And, was thy peace Deposited in him?-In him who rais'd His impious hand to kill thee!-Is it well To mourn his fall, and thus accuse the blow That rescu'd thee from death?

ELEONORA.

I blame not thee,

No, Heav'n forbid!-I blame not my protector-
Yet thy protection has undone me quite!
And I will mourn-for ever mourn the hour-
Th' ill-omen'd hour, that on thy sword conferr'd
Such terrible success-How pale appear
These clay-cold cheeks where grace and vigour
O dismal spectacle!-How humble now [glow'd!
Lies that ambition which was late so proud!-
Did he not call me with his latest breath!-
He would have said-but cruel fate control'd
His fault'ring tongue!He would have said,
"For thee,

For thee, false maid, I perish undeplor'd!"
O! hadst thou known how obstinately true
My heart remain'd to thee, when thy own guilt,
My duty, and thy rival's worth, conspir'd
To banish thee from thence, thy parting soul
Would have acquitted-nay, perhaps, bewail'd
My persecuted truth!.

Lament with steadiness those ills that flow
From our mishap yet therefore not ascribe
To self-demerit, impotently griev'd,
The guilt of accident.-Thou hast enough
Denoted thy concern-Let me not think
Thy sorrow hath espoused a traitor's cause.
ELEONORA.

Ah! what avails to me the hard-won palm
Of fruitless virtue?-Will it lull to rest
Internal anguish?-Will it yield me peace?-

ANGUS.

Thy indiscreet affliction shall not plead
Against thee, with me, now.-Remember this,
If thou art weak enough to harbour still
A guilty flame; to thy assistance call
That noble pride and dignity of scorn,
Which warms, exalts, and purifies the soul-
But I will trust thee to thyself.-Withdraw;
For Athol comes, and on his visage low'rs
A storm of wrath,

SCENE VIII.

ANGUS, ATHOL.

ATHOL.

[Exit Eleonora.

Are these the fair effects

Of our submission!-These the promis'd fruits
Of amity restor'd!—To violate

The laws of hospitality-To guide
The midnight murderer's inhuman blow,
And sacrifice your guests!

ANGUS.

That Athol mourns

This unforeseen severity of fate,

I marvel not.-My own paternal sense
Is wak'd by sympathy; and I condole
His interesting loss.But thus to tax
Our blameless faith with traitorous design,
Not with our pure integrity conforms,
Nor with thy duty, thane.

Of undetermin'd fancy!-This convey'd
No loose imperfect images: but all
Was dreadfully distinct! as if the hand

Of Fate had wrought it.-Profit by those signs-
Your guardian angel dictates.-O, my prince!
Let not your blind security disgrace

The merit of your prudence.

KING.

No, my queen, Let us avoid the opposite extremes Of negligence supine, and prostrate fear.Already hath our vigilance perform'd What caution justifies: and for thy dream; As such consider it-the vain effect Of an imagination long disturb'd.Life with substantial ills enough is curs'd: Why should we then, with frantic zeal, pursue Unreal care; and, with th' illusive form Which our own teeming brain produc'd, affright Our reason from her throne?

QUEEN.

In all your course

Of youthful glory, when the guiding hand
Of warlike Henry led you to the field;
When my fond soul suffer'd the successive pangs
Of fond impatience and repressive fear;
When ev'ry reeking messenger from France,
Wreath'd a new garland for Albania's prince,
And shook my bosom with the dreadful tale
That spoke your praise; say, did my weak despair
Recal you from the race?- Did not my heart
Espouse your fame, and patiently await
The end of your career?-O! by the joys
I felt at your return, when smiling love
Secure, with rapture reign'd.-O! by these tears,
Which seldom plead; indulge my boding soul!
Arouse your conqu'ring troops; iet Angus guard
The convent with a chosen band.-The soul
Of treason is abroad!

Ev'n now, my liege,

Then let our swords preventAll further opposition, and at once Dismiss him to the shades.

GRIME.

Thine be the task

I know with what just indignation burns
Thy gen'rous hate, against the partial thane,
Who, to thine age and services, preferr'd
A raw unpractis'd stripling.

CATTAN.

Ha!-no more.

The bare remembrance tortures me!-O Grime! How will my soul his mortal groans enjoy!

GRIME.

While we within perform th' intrepid blow,
To his apartment thou shalt move alone;
Nor will pretence be wanting: say, thou bring'st
Intelligence important, that demands

His instant ear:--Then shalt thou find thy foe
Unarm'd and unattended.-Need my tongue
Instruct thee further?

CATTAN.

No, let my revenge Suggest what follows-By the pow'rs of Hell! I will be drunk with vengeance!

GRIME.

To thy guard